“We’re working very hard with our partners to improve Manchester’s air quality and taking part in the scheme helps the city on its way to reducing its carbon emissions by 48% by 2020,” said environment spokesperson Helen Smith.

The scheme launched this month and hopes to work with operators in pollution hotspots like Trafford Park.

Many major operators in the area have already signed up, including Nisa and Superdrug, who are already taking advantage of the support offered.

Current operators who have benefited from the scheme include JG Pears.

Recommendations by the ECO Stars team led to fleet renewal, improved performance management and a driver training plan.

These improvements resulted in an average MPG increase of 10%, reduced insurance costs by £80k and an 8% reduction in carbon emissions.

“The scheme is free to sign up to, the process is simple and by following our advice, businesses could improve their fuel efficiency by up to 5%," said Morag White, TTR’s Deputy Programme Manager for ECO Stars.

"We hope that Manchester’s fleet operators, whether one-man bands or larger operators, will take full advantage of this opportunity to make a difference to both their bottom line and their local environment.”